Projects

Golf Club - Nantes (F) - Nantes (Francia)

A game immersed in nature

Combining natural elegance with functionality, the porcelain floor tiles are one of the highlights of the clubhouse remodelling project on a historic French golf course
Author
Alfredo Zappa
Photos
Mauro Davoli
Ceramic surfaces
CAESAR
Year of completion
2015

The game of golf is a mystery, as mysterious as the universe, the solar system, electricity and irony, as American sports writer Paul William Gallico has commented.
Practised since the 13th century, like all sports with a strong tradition golf displays a high degree of originality and sense of propriety not just in the tools that are used to play it – especially the legendary clubs and the small hard rubber ball that has become an icon of the sport – but also in its dress code which often verges on the picturesque.
Another source of golf’s appeal lies in the places in which it is played, generally in natural settings of outstanding beauty.
The Nantes Golf Club is no exception, set in a 56-hectare wood of cedars and conifers. Conceived and designed by British architect Frank Pennink, the 18-hole course (par 72, “par” meaning the number of shots a skilled golfer is expected to make to complete the course) is located in a splendid hilly setting in perfect harmony between nature, tradition and creativity.
For over 46 years it has been a point of reference not just for lovers of the sport but also for people wishing to meet socially or for work in a refined, peaceful atmosphere.
Alongside the course, a series of buildings of understated elegance accommodate the Clubhouse. The complex consists of a series of pavilions clad entirely with natural wood strips. Alongside the reception, the Clubhouse also has areas devoted to social functions and sports activities, a series of meeting rooms, a panoramic terrace and an elegant restaurant.
As part of a renovation project recently carried out to improve and refresh the image of these spaces, new floor surfaces were laid in some of the indoor areas. The goal of promoting a natural overall image was achieved thanks to the choice of Italian porcelain tile from Ceramiche Caesar, a latest-generation material that combines aesthetic qualities with outstanding technological characteristics and performance. This is especially important for use in collective areas that communicate directly with outdoor spaces, which require both an appealing finish and outstanding wear resistance and ease of maintenance.
For this reason, the Life collection in the colour Moro and sizes 20×120 cm and 30×120 cm was chosen for its ability to create a powerful sense of space.
Life offers a contemporary interpretation of natural wood, the porcelain surface recreating its details and grain with outstanding fidelity. It comes in 4 different sizes typical of traditional parquet planks and a range of 5 colours inspired by the most popular wood species.

Ceramic surfaces
Caesar, serie Life
porcelain stoneware
Moro
30x120, 20x120 cm

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